1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vending machine and a method for operating a vending machine.
2. Description of the Background Art
Vending machines may be used both for storing food products and for preparing food products; i.e., once they have been fully automatically or semi-automatically filled with food products, the vending machines may heat the food products (using a wide range of methods, such as microwave, convection heat, contact heat) and/or cool them and/or also only store them and subsequently dispense them to the operator/consumer.
A vending machine for dispensing hot food is known from DE 600 30 942 T2, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,632. The vending machine includes a housing, which is divided into a cooled section and a heating section, which are separated from each other and are connected to each other. The cooled section includes a storage unit, which is designed to contain a plurality of foods, each of which is packaged in an appropriate, sealed container. The cooled section also includes a pickup device for removing one particular food item from the storage unit by peripherally gripping the associated container, an opening device for opening the container and transfer device for removing the food from the container. The heating section includes a heating unit, a magazine of stacked, disposable containers, movable supporting device, which are designed to receive the food from the transfer device and which transfer it to the heating section and introduce it into the heating unit and then deliver the hot food to one of the containers, a delivery device for transferring the food in the associated container outside the housing and motorized driving device and control device, which may be activated from outside the housing and which are provided for synchronous control of the pickup device, the opening device, the transfer device, the movable supporting device and the delivery device according to a predetermined automatic cycle. The food comprises precooked pizzas. The heating unit is an electric oven. The containers have trays. The magazine of disposable trays is located in a position below the electric oven and contains a movable opposing device which interacts with the supporting device to deposit the hot pizza on the top tray within the vending machine. A supporting base carries a stack of disposable trays and may be raised so as to position the top of the stack of disposable trays directly beneath the movable opposing device. The delivery device includes a pushing/separating assembly, which is movable over the top of the magazine of stacked trays, using alternating movements in a straight line, in a position corresponding to a dispensing outlet of the housing for the purpose of transferring the hot pizza, which is delivered on the tray located on the top of the magazine, to the dispensing outlet.
A device for accommodating a plurality of recorded audio and video carriers is described in DE 297 21 628 U 1. The device includes a holding device for individual cassettes, a controllable cassette removal device which may be moved to the individual cassettes, an ejection device and a card-controlled and/or key-controlled preselection and registration device. The ejection device is simultaneously designed as an insertion device for cassettes. The holding device has holding elements which are disposed on multiple levels located above each other vertically on the inner walls of a free-standing, circular structure. The cassette removal device is disposed in the center of the structure and has a transport unit which is movable vertically on a rail and which transports each cassette from and to its proper location.
A food vending machine is known from DE 34 12 899 A1. The food vending machine is provided with a magazine for a plurality of cooled or uncooled, apportioned food items, a heating device, a dispensing station, a transport device operating between the magazine and heating device and a selection station. The magazine is disposed in a storage cabinet, which is divided into at least one cooling compartment and at least one freezer compartment, bowls of food being exchangeable between the cooling compartment and the freezer compartment with the aid of the transport device.
A microwave oven and an automatic dispensing device for food products, including a microwave oven of this type, is described in FR 2 681 217 A1. The interior of the oven is accessible through a tight-sealing door. The door has a pickup device for picking up the products to be heated, and it is movable between a first position, in which the pickup device is to be loaded with the products to be heated, and a second position, in which the pickup device having the products to be heated are situated in the interior of the microwave oven. While returning to the first position, the pickup device interacts with dispenser. The device comprises a rack storage compartment for storing a plurality of food products and a pusher, with the aid of which one particular food product may be pushed out of the rack storage compartment. The pusher is movable horizontally and vertically and surrounded by the rack storage compartment.
A vending machine for dispensing hot food is known from GB 2 267 700 A. The vending machine comprises a compartment for storing sealed food containers, a microwave oven and a device for transporting a food container from a storage chamber to the microwave oven for heating the food in the food container before it is dispensed. To prevent the food container from bursting in the microwave oven, a sealing film is punctured with the aide of a heating element before the food container is placed in the microwave oven. Heating the heating element ensures that it remains sterile.